NEMA recommends stiffer actions for tanker drivers, others

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has decried the flagrant abuse of extant traffic laws by trucks, large, slow moving vehicles and others. It called for stiffer actions against reckless road users.

NEMA said the drivers’ indiscipline, recklessness, impatience and flagrant disobedience to traffic laws have caused accidents, leading to the death of many people.

A statement by the agency’s information officer, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, quoted the Zonal Coordinator, Southwest Zone, Mr. Iyiola Akande, as saying: “From today (Sunday) till the next five days, traffic will increase, especially immediately after the New Year celebrations.

He said: “The Federal Government has been doing its best in the repairs and rehabilitation of the major highways as an essential impetus for safer road, which is part of the United Nations’ requirements for reduction of road crashes and injuries.

“From today till the next five days, traffic will increase, especially immediately after the New Year celebrations.

“This will result in one-way traffic flow. So, it is necessary for these classes of road users to be cautious, comply with traffic rules and regulations against what we have observed in them, especially their reckless driving.”

According to NEMA, Highway Code Section 15 says: “It is an offence for a large and slow moving vehicle to allow smaller or fast moving vehicles queue behind it whenever the driver can pull over safely to make way for other vehicles.”

The agency lamented that there has been no compliance with the provision.

“Henceforth, we will ensure that this rule is enforced without minding whose ox is gored. This will be after the appraisal of efforts and activities of the related agencies that have the mandate to enforce traffic rules.

“NEMA has several times met the leadership of the associations of the drivers, highlighting the observations and excessiveness of their members. Promises were made to enlighten their members on the need to obey traffic rules.

“Our appeal to the drivers is to contribute their quota to safer road as they won’t know whether their relatives, friends or family could be victims of their nonchalant attitude that are detrimental to other road users.

“Speed has been identified as a key risk factor in road traffic injuries, influencing the risk of road traffic crashes and the severity of the injuries that result from crashes.

“Road crashes create social costs for individuals, families and society. Road traffic injuries place a heavy burden on health services and economies.

“As motorisation increases, road traffic crashes will continue to be a fast growing problem. The situation is becoming more worrisome due to the refusal of these classes of our road users to abide by the extant rule, as the efforts of the agencies to enlighten the drivers have not yielded results,” Mr. Akande said.

NEMA hailed the Ministry of Works for the implementation of Section 25 of the extant codes, which kicks against indiscriminate parking of trailers and tankers on the highways.